In March 2026, China exported a record volume of solar components, totaling 68 gigawatts in solar capacity, as fossil fuel prices rose and tax rebates for clean technology ended. This surge in demand led to 50 countries setting all-time records for Chinese solar imports, with African nations experiencing a significant increase in demand. Despite China's decision to end tax rebates, African countries are continuing to rapidly expand their solar energy capacity, with prices expected to rise but not reverse the clean energy transition. Asian nations, including India, also increased their imports of Chinese solar components, reflecting a global trend towards solar energy adoption.
Author: News.mongabay
-
Great Koala National Park tests whether protected forests can stay connected
Australia is planning a new Great Koala National Park in New South Wales to address the decline of koalas due to habitat fragmentation, deforestation, and climate change impacts. The park aims to provide connected habitat for koalas and other threatened species, emphasizing the importance of managing whole landscapes to ensure ecological connections and habitat functionality. Conservationists support the park proposal but warn of challenges such as logging pressure and weak enforcement, highlighting the crucial need for connectivity between forest remnants for species to move and adapt to changing conditions.
-
Reciprocity, not extraction: Centering an Indigenous approach to forestry
Biodiversity, water accessibility, and climate are interconnected, offering a climate solution through ecosystem restoration and landscape care. By promoting biodiversity, the water cycle can be healed, leading to climate stabilization. This aspect has been overlooked in the climate conversation, which often focuses solely on carbon dioxide reduction and transitioning away from fossil fuels. Protecting ecosystems and balancing the water cycle are crucial components of addressing climate change.
-
How Bangladesh builds houses that stand in extreme floods
Architects from Dhaka are collaborating with rural communities in northeast Bangladesh to construct flood-resistant tiny houses known as khudi baris. These homes are designed to withstand severe flooding and can be easily dismantled and relocated during river erosion, empowering villagers to build them independently. The project showcases a successful model of community-led climate adaptation, with several homes already constructed. Despite the urgency of completing a project before an impending flood arrives, individuals are working tirelessly to finish within 14 or 15 days to avoid potential damage, highlighting the race against time to address climate challenges in the region.
https://news.mongabay.com/video/2026/04/how-bangladesh-builds-houses-that-stand-in-extreme-floods/
-
How Mongabay’s journalism made an impact in 2025
In 2025, Mongabay's journalism focused on empowering Indigenous and local communities by exposing illegal activities in the Amazon, highlighting conservation efforts in Colombia and Mexico, and collaborating with GI-TOC to combat illegal wildlife trade. Their reporting led to indictments and recommendations for bans on illegal practices in Brazil, as well as actions by organizations like WWF. With over 870 impacts logged throughout the year, Mongabay's work aims to hold powerful interests accountable and empower communities to defend their rights and ecosystems.
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/12/how-mongabays-journalism-made-an-impact-in-2025/
-
15 forces that could reshape conservation in the next 10 years
The recent horizon scan led by William J. Sutherland highlights emerging developments that could shape biodiversity outcomes over the next decade, focusing on issues spanning technology, climate, biology, and finance. The scan aims to improve preparedness before change becomes costly, addressing the imbalance of focusing on visible damage in conservation debates. It discusses various emerging threats and shifts related to climate change, such as the environmental impacts of fiber-optic drones and climate-driven changes in global soils and ocean productivity. By drawing attention to potential shifts and issues before they become visible and costly, conservation can move away from reactive responses, ultimately saving time and resources in the field of conservation.
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/15-forces-that-could-reshape-conservation-in-the-next-10-years/
-
Clark Lungren and the case for compromise in conservation
Clark Lungren, a conservationist in Burkina Faso, and a field biologist, bird specialist, and advisor in West and Central African countries, both emphasized the importance of aligning conservation efforts with local governance and incentives to ensure long-lasting impact. Lungren's strategy of granting communities controlled hunting rights in exchange for protection, initially dismissed by experts, proved durable and led to the rebound of wildlife populations in the Nazinga area. The field biologist's work focused on training local monitors, managing wildlife, and advocating for community involvement, leading to the establishment of community-managed hunting zones and the protection of wildlife corridors in the region. Both cases demonstrate that practical compromises and community involvement are key to successful conservation efforts that align with local needs and ensure sustainable practices.
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/clark-lungren-and-the-case-for-compromise-in-conservation/
-
Africa mulls gap in climate adaptation finance for agriculture
African stakeholders are advocating for increased adaptation funding for smallholder farmers in the agricultural sector who are highly vulnerable to climate shocks. Despite international funding pledges, there is a significant gap of approximately $365 billion through 2035, with skepticism that other countries will fill the shortfall. Climate finance is concentrated in a few countries, leaving farmers with limited access to funds for climate-smart practices. Stakeholders are calling for public financing, better early-warning systems, loss-and-damage support, and the implementation of climate-smart agriculture to address the underfunding of agricultural adaptation in Africa. Efforts to redirect harmful subsidies, reform finance institutions, and create a fairer global tax system are suggested to fill the gap in finance flows to small-scale agriculture in Africa. Additionally, concerns about the lack of progress in implementing the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) at the climate conference and the need for quadrupling Africa's climate finance flows annually until 2030 to meet investment needs for emissions reduction pledges under the Paris Agreement are highlighted.
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/africa-mulls-gap-in-climate-adaptation-finance-for-agriculture/
-
Kristina Gjerde, mother of the high seas, has died, aged 68
Kristina Maria Gjerde, a dedicated advocate for ocean protection, played a crucial role in the negotiation and adoption of the 2023 UN Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (the High Seas Treaty). Over the course of two decades, she worked tirelessly to build coalitions and alliances to address the protection of biodiversity on the high seas. Gjerde's focus sharpened as industrial activities threatened deep-sea ecosystems, emphasizing the need for monitoring and evaluation to avoid significant harm. Her fluency across different domains and enduring commitment to ocean conservation made her a respected figure in the field, reflecting a long-term commitment to climate solutions and governance improvements in the international marine law arena.
-
Huge ‘blue carbon’ offsetting project takes root in the mangroves of Sierra Leone
West Africa Blue has chosen Verra for their carbon offset project in Sierra Leone, with plans to sell carbon credits by the end of 2026. The project involves 124 communities and includes a 50-year agreement with revenue sharing and transparency. NGO Namati has helped guide community discussions and will monitor the project to ensure compliance with agreements. Critics raise concerns about the potential negative impacts of offset projects on local communities and the reputation of polluting corporations. Residents of Sherbro in Sierra Leone are cautiously optimistic about the Sherbro River Estuary Project, hopeful for the success and benefits of this new project despite past disappointments with foreign-led interventions.